The Tanimbar corella (Cacatua goffiniana), also known as Goffin's cockatoo or Tanimbar cockatoo, is a species of cockatoo endemic to forests of Yamdena, Larat and Selaru, all islands in the Tanimbar Islands archipelago in Indonesia. It has been introduced to the Kai Islands, Indonesia, Puerto Rico and Singapore. This species was only formally described in 2004, after it was discovered that the previous formal descriptions pertained to individuals of a different cockatoo species, the Ducorps' or Solomons cockatoo (Cacatua ducorpsii). Tanimbar corellas are the smallest of the white cockatoos. It is classified as Near Threatened due to deforestation and bird trade. It breeds well in captivity and there is a large avicultural population.
Description
Tanimbar corellas weigh, on average, about for females and for males. They are about from head to tail.
Like all members of the family Cacatuidae, the Tanimbar corella is crested, meaning it has a collection of feathers on its head that it can raise or lower. Its body is mainly covered with white feathers, with salmon or pink colored feathers between the beak and eyes. The deeper (proximal) parts of the crest feathers and neck feathers are also a salmon color, but the coloration here is hidden by the white color of the more superficial (distal) areas of these feathers. The underside of its wing and tail feathers exhibit a yellowish tinge. The beak is pale grey and the eye colour is brown in females and black in males. The males are slightly larger, but otherwise look similar to the females.
In captivity, Tanimbar corellas live up to 30 years, making them one of the shorter-lived cockatoo species.
Breeding
Not much is known about the breeding behaviour of this species in the wild. Their breeding season is unknown and little is known of their mating behaviors. 2-3 eggs are laid per clutch.
Virtually all knowledge of the this species' breeding habits comes from captive-bred populations. Aviculturists in the United Kingdom have reported that the Tanimbar corella breeds from late spring - with the eggs hatching before July after an incubation period of approximately 28 days, the nest being attended to by both parents. The hen feeds her offspring for approximately three weeks after fledging. No courtship behavior was observed between cock and hen prior to mating.
Conservation
Due to ongoing habitat loss on Tanimbar, limited range and illegal hunting, the Tanimbar corella is evaluated as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is listed on Appendix I of CITES. In the 1970s, Japanese loggers ravaged the islands. Many of the dazed, disoriented birds were captured for the pet trade. Although many died from stress during shipment, there may be a small silver lining behind this ecological disaster, because many Tanimbar corellas have reproduced in captive breeding programs. As such, there are now more Tanimbar corellas in captivity than in the wild.
Scientific naming
Historically, the discovery of the species as Lophochroa goffini is attributed to Otto Finsch in 1863. It was named for Andreas Leopold Goffin, a friend of Finsch and apparently a Dutch naval lieutenant who died the same year at the age of 26.
In 2000, it became clear that Finsch's formal description of this species was based on two specimens that actually belonged to an entirely different cockatoo species, the Ducorps' or Solomons cockatoo (Cacatua ducorpsii). Cacatua goffini thus became a synonym for Cacatua ducorpsii, leaving this species without a proper scientific name and description. In 2004, the species was formally described as Cacatua goffiniana, maintaining the intent of Finsch to name a species of cockatoo after his friend. The new description is based on an individual collected from the Tanimbar Islands in 1923 by Dr. Felix Kopstein.
In aviculture
In aviculture the parrot is widely known as the Goffin's cockatoo. Pet birds handreared from hatching can imitate human speech, but generally they are not good talkers. They are generally quieter than the "large cockatoos" but can still be quite loud, and they have a sharp screech that some find irritating.
Tanimbar corellas learn by watching and copying. Just by opening the cage door, a Tanimbar corella's attention can be drawn to the latch on its cage and it can learn by trial and error how to open the latch with its beak and escape the cage in seconds. Tanimbar corellas can destroy furniture with their beaks and can chew through wires and cause potentially dangerous electrical incidents.